Packing bag

ABSTRACT

In a packing bag made of a flexible film-like first material with, a substantially rectangular base which is formed as a standing surface with longitudinal and side edges, the base comprises a second material giving form-stability to the bag in the area close to the base, and has a base fold line running in the center and parallel to the two longitudinal edges and dividing the base into two base parts which can be folded against each other, and the longitudinal edges form side fold lines between the base and substantially rectangular side walls arranged on two opposite sides of the base, wherein the fold part which is constructed from the base and the two side walls is glued to the bag.

BACKGROUND

The invention concerns a packing bag of a flexible film-like firstmaterial with a substantially rectangular base formed as a standingsurface with longitudinal and side edges.

As a standing pack for foodstuffs which are heated in a microwave ovenand served on a plate, rigid or form-stable containers of plastics,normally made by 3D thermoforming or injection moulding, with a tightlyattached lid, and rigid bags made of plastic laminate are known. Suchpacking containers and bags, because of their greater need for materialrequired to achieve stability, are ecologically harmful and alsorelatively expensive.

Dish containers with tightly attached lid have the disadvantage thatthey are bulky and easily broken.

The invention is based on the object of providing a packing for both dryproducts e.g. nuts or crisps, and for products with liquid and solidelements or semi-solid products such as ready meals to be heated in themicrowave, which packing does not have or only has to a lesser extentthe disadvantages described above of the packaging according to theprior art.

The object according to the invention is achieved in a packing bag ofthe type cited initially in which the base comprises a second materialgiving the bag form-stability in the area close to the base, has a basefold line running in the centre between and parallel to the twolongitudinal or side edges and dividing the base into two base partswhich can be folded against each other, and the longitudinal or sideedges form side fold lines between the base and two substantiallyrectangular side walls which are arranged on two opposing sides of thebase, wherein a fold part which is formed from the base and the two sidewalls is glued to the bag.

A substantial advantage of the packing bag according to the inventionlies firstly in the flat bag form in the first position which is idealfor transport, and secondly in open state in the form-stable dish shapeideal as a serving or cooking dish in the second position.

In a suitable embodiment of the packing bag according to the invention,the fold part which is formed from the base and the two side walls in afirst position is substantially V-shaped in relation to a theoreticalsection plane running perpendicular to the fold lines. In a secondposition the two base parts form a substantially flat base as a standingsurface and the two side walls protrude from the base. The fold partconstructed from the base and the two side walls can be brought from thefirst position into the second position by pressure on the fold edgesconnecting the two base parts to form the substantially flat base.

In a special embodiment of the fold part the side fold lines areoutwardly curved in relation to the base fold line so that the fold partwhich is constructed from the base and the two side walls assumes astable form in the second position.

The end of the bag which is remote from the base can be separatedpreferably along a tear line lying substantially parallel to thestanding surface of the bag.

The packing bag itself can be a standing bag without inherent standingstability, a hose bag or an extruded bag. The bag material for thepacking bag according to the invention, in comparison with the rigidmaterial required for a standing bag with inherent standing stability,can have a lesser thickness and is consequently cheaper.

The bag material of the packing bag according to the invention ispreferably a one-layer or multi-layer film made of plastics, whereapplicable laminated with a paper layer or aluminum film, or a paperlaminated with plastics.

The material for the fold part and the reinforcement part can be any lowcost material. A preferred material is cardboard or a transparent oropaque plastic.

The packing bag is particularly suitable for packing foodstuffs, inparticular spoonable fillings. A further preferred area of applicationis the packing of fillings which are intended for heating in a microwaveoven.

The meals e.g. ready meals can be heated directly in a microwave in thepacking bag according to the invention in the open state. The advantageof the packing bag according to the invention lies here in theheat-insulating design of the area of the bag near the base due to thefold part, which allows holding with bare hands. Certain meals in theopen bag can for example also be heated in a water bath. For readymeals, the open bag can serve directly as a cooking dish.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention arise from thedescription below of preferred embodiment examples and with reference tothe drawings which show diagrammatically:

FIG. 1 a perspective view of a packing bag in a first position;

FIG. 2 a perspective view of the open packing bag of FIG. 1 in a secondposition;

FIG. 3 a top view of a fold part constructed from base and side wallswith curved side fold lines;

FIG. 4 the side view of the fold part of FIG. 3 after folding the sidewalls into the second position;

FIG. 5 the top view of the fold part in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 the side view of the fold part in FIG. 4 rotated through 90°;

FIG. 7 a front view of the opening part of a packing bag with a firstvariant of a reclosable opening;

FIG. 8 a section through the bag in FIG. 7 on line I-I;

FIG. 9 a front view of the opening part of a packing bag with a secondvariant of a closable opening;

FIG. 10 a section through the bag in FIG. 9 on line II-II.

A packing bag 10 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in the form of a standing bagand comprising a flexible film material e.g. polyamide, has a sealed bagbase 12, a front wall 14 and a rear wall 16. Front wall 14 and rear wall16 are connected in the known manner by way of lateral longitudinalsealed seams 18, 19 and together with a transverse sealing seam 20 whichis arranged at the end of the bag 10 remote from the base, form a closedpacking bag 10.

The transverse sealing seam 20 at the end of the packing bag 10 remotefrom the base is part of a bag part 24 which can be separated from thebag and is covered by a V-shaped reinforcement part 22. Thereinforcement part 22 is equipped with a through slot 26 for suspendingthe bag 10. To open the packing bag 10, the separable bag part 24together with the reinforcement part 22 is torn away along a tear line28 which is arranged parallel to the bag walls 14, 16 at a shortdistance from the transverse sealing seam 20. As a tear aid, tearnotches are provided in the longitudinal sealing seams 18, 19 with a tipending on the tear line 28.

In the area of the bag 10 close to the base is a fold part 30 extendingfrom the bag front wall 14 to the rear wall 16 and reinforcing the bagbase 12, comprising a substantially form-stable material e.g. cardboard,plastics, another suitable material or a laminate of the said materialsand where applicable further materials. The fold part 30 can be arrangedon the bag base 12 inside the bag or surrounding the bag base 12 fromthe outside.

The fold part 30 comprises a rectangular base 32 with longitudinal edges34, 35 and side edges 36, 37. A base fold line a running in the centrebetween and parallel to the two longitudinal edges 34, 35 divides thebase 32 into two base parts 38, 40 which can be folded against eachother. The longitudinal edges 34, 35 of the base 32 form side fold linesb, c between the base 32 and substantially rectangular side walls 42, 44which are arranged on two opposing sides of the base 32.

The fold part 30 which is constructed from the base 32 and the two sidewalls 42, 44 can as stated above be arranged both inside the bag or onits outside and is at least partly attached to the bag inside or outsiderespectively by gluing, sealing and similar connection methods. Thefixing to the bag walls 14, 16 takes place e.g. partially by way of spotglue or seal points.

It is clear from FIG. 1 that the fold part 30 which is constructed fromthe base 32 and the two side walls 42, 44 in a first position issubstantially V-shaped in relation to a theoretical section planeextending perpendicular to the fold lines a, b, c. In a second positionshown in FIG. 2 the two base parts 38, 40 form the substantially flatbase 32 as a standing surface and the two side walls 42, 44 protrudesubstantially vertically from the base. The fold part 30 which is formedfrom the base 32 and the two side walls 42, 44 is brought from the firstposition into the second position by pressure from the outside on thebase fold edge or line a connecting the two base parts 38, 40 to formthe substantially flat base 32. Conversion of the fold part 30, which issubstantially V-shaped in the first position, to the second positionwith flat base 32 and side walls 42, 44 protruding therefrom, occursautomatically on standing the bag 10 in its upright position.

The base 32 serves as a standing surface so that the packing bag 10itself need not be formed stand-stable. The packing bag 10 can thereforealso be a simple hose bag with a longitudinal seam or an extruded bagwithout longitudinal seam, and two side seams.

It is evident from FIG. 2 that, after opening, the bag 10 together withthe specially designed fold part 30 forms a dish with a substantiallyrectangular base. Depending on bag content, the dish which is formed canserve as a serving dish for e.g. nuts or crisps, or as a cooking dishsuitable for microwave oven for e.g. ready meals.

In the fold part 30 which is shown in FIG. 3 the side fold lines b, care outwardly curved in relation to the base fold line a so that thefold part 30 which is formed from the base 32 and the two side walls 42,44 assumes a stable form in the second position shown in FIGS. 4 to 6.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the side walls 42, 44 in the second positionof the fold part 30 form convex curved surfaces, and the base 32 shortlybefore reaching the second position spontaneously falls into aform-stable, concave curved end position.

FIGS. 7 to 10 show example embodiments of packing bags with a reclosableopening part.

In a first variant shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, to open the packing bag 10the bag part with transverse sealing seam 20 is torn away along a tearline 28 arranged in the bag walls 14, 16 parallel to and at a shortdistance from the transverse sealing seam 20. As a tear aid, tearnotches 46 are provided in the longitudinal sealing seams 18, 19 withtip ending on the tear line 28.

At a further distance from the transverse sealing seam 20 and the tearline 28, arranged parallel to the transverse sealing seam 20 at the bagwalls 14, 16 are arranged corresponding parts of a zip closure 48, 49.After the bag has been opened by tearing away the bag part with thetransverse sealing seam 20 along the tear line 28, the bag can bereopened and closed using the zip closure 48, 49.

In a second variant shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, to open the packing bag 10again first the bag part with the transverse sealing seam 20 is tornaway along a tear line 28 which is arranged in the bag walls 14, 16parallel to and at a short distance from the transverse sealing seam 20.As tear aids, tear notches 46 are provided in the longitudinal sealingseams 18, 19 with tip ending on the tear line 28.

At a further distance from the transverse sealing seam 20 and tear line28 is arranged a peelable and reclosable closure strip 50 connecting thetwo bag walls 14, 16 by means of a contact adhesive. After the bag hasbeen opened by tearing away the bag part with the transverse sealingseam 20 along the tear line 28, the bag can be repeatedly opened andreclosed by means of the closure strip 50. To facilitate opening, theclosure strip 50 is formed rising in an arrow shape from thelongitudinal sealing seams 18, 19 towards the transverse sealing seam20. In this way the force required for opening is concentrated in thecentre of the sealing strip 50 and separation of the sealing strip 50takes place continuously from the middle of the bag towards the twolongitudinal sealing edges 18, 19.

The opening and reclosing systems shown in the drawing are simply asmall selection of a multiplicity of possibilities for reclosableopening of a bag. The scope of protection of the packing bag accordingto the invention is not restricted to the embodiment example shown inthe drawing but extends rather to packing bags with any arbitraryopening and where applicable reclosing systems.

1. Packing bag of a flexible film-like first material with asubstantially rectangular base formed as a standing surface with twopairs of opposed edges, characterised in that the base comprises asecond material giving the bag form-stability in the area close to thebase, and has a base fold line running in the centre between andparallel to one of the two pairs of edges and dividing the base into twobase parts which can be folded against each other, and the one of thetwo pairs of edges form side fold lines between the base andsubstantially rectangular side walls which are arranged on two opposingsides of the base, wherein a fold part which is formed from the base andthe two side walls is glued to the bag.
 2. Packing bag according toclaim 1, characterised in that the fold part which is formed from thebase and the two side walls in a first position is substantiallyV-shaped in relation to a theoretical section plane perpendicular to thefold lines and in a second position the two base parts form thesubstantially flat base as a standing surface and the two side wallsproject from the base, wherein the fold part which is formed from thebase and the two side walls can be brought from the first position intothe second position by pressure on the base fold line connecting the twobase parts to form the substantially flat base.
 3. Packing bag accordingto claim 2, characterised in that the side fold lines are outwardlycurved in relation to the base fold line so that the fold part which isconstructed from the base and the two side walls assumes a stable formin the second position.
 4. Packing bag according to claim 1,characterised in that the end of the bag which is remote from the basecan be separated along a tear line lying substantially parallel to thestanding surface of the bag.
 5. Packing bag according to claim 4,characterised in that the separable end of the bag is covered by areinforcement part.
 6. Packing bag according to claim 1, characterisedin that at the end of the bag which is remote from the base is arrangedan opening and reclosing system selected from a group consisting of: azip closure and a peelable and reclosable closing strip of a contactadhesive.
 7. Packing bag according to claim 1, characterised in that thebag material is a one-layer or multi-layer film of plastics, laminatedwhere applicable with a paper layer or aluminum film, or a paperlaminated with plastics.
 8. Packing bag according to claim 1,characterised in that the fold part which is constructed from the baseand the two side walls is selected from a group consisting of:cardboard, transparent plastic, and opaque plastic.
 9. Packing bagaccording to claim 1, characterised in that the fold part which isconstructed from the base and the two side walls is attached to thepacking bag by way of spot glue points.
 10. Packing bag according toclaim 1, characterised in that the bag is one of a group consisting of:a standing bag, a hose bag and an extruded bag.
 11. A method comprisingusing a packing bag according to claim 1 for packing foodstuffs.
 12. Amethod comprising using a packing bag according to claim 1 for packingfillings intended for heating in a microwave oven.
 13. Packing bagaccording to claim 5, wherein the reinforcement part comprises amaterial selected from a group consisting of: cardboard, transparentplastic, and opaque plastic.
 14. A packing bag comprising: a bag memberformed of a flexible first material; and a fold part connected to thebag member and formed of a second material giving the bag form-stabilityin the area close to the base, the fold part comprising a substantiallyrectangular base and two substantially rectangular side walls connectedto opposed edges of the base, wherein the fold part has a base fold linerunning along a center thereof, between and parallel to the opposededges of the base and dividing the base into two base parts which can befolded against each other, and wherein the opposed edges of the baseform fold lines between the base and the side walls.